Status: 04/01/2023 11:52 a.m
Within a few hours, several avalanches went off in northern Norway. Four people died and several were injured, some seriously. A barn full of goats also fell into the sea.
A series of avalanches in Norway have killed four people, including at least one foreign tourist. The accidents happened on Friday in the province of Tromsö in the north of the country.
Group of tourists from Italy affected
According to the police, five tourists were hit by an avalanche near the Kavringtinden peak near the municipality of Lyngen in the afternoon. The foreign tourists went on an excursion in the area. According to the police, one of them was killed by the avalanche.
Two others were injured, one seriously. According to the administration, the group of tourists came from Italy. However, it has not been confirmed that the deceased was Italian.
Two more avalanches nearby
Shortly thereafter, the police said they were informed of another avalanche on the nearby island of Reinöya. Two people died there when an avalanche tore a house and a barn into the sea. According to the police, around 140 goats were in the barn at the time of the accident.
Later on Friday, police reported that a fourth person had been killed in another snow avalanche. The accident happened on a river in the North Reisa area. “The person was part of a larger group of foreign travelers,” police said. Another member of the group found the victim and alerted the emergency services. The authorities initially did not provide any information on nationality.
Weather service warns of further avalanche danger
According to the EBU news agency, snowstorms in the north of the country led to traffic delays on Friday. The authorities therefore warned of difficult driving conditions due to snow and strong winds.
Several small towns in Tromsö have been evacuated because of the great avalanche danger. The Norwegian weather service also warns of further avalanches in the Tromsö region for today and tomorrow.